Brach’s Ice Cream Conversation Hearts

Brach’s Ice Cream Conversation Hearts provide a conceptually different choice in the area of conversation candies. They’re flavored like ice cream, which is to say that they’re more mainstream than the original spice inspired flavors that Necco used to produce.

When I go to the store and browse ice cream flavors, the tops on my list of consideration go something like this (not necessarily in order): chocolate, coffee, mint chocolate chip, butter pecan, peanut butter cup and then maybe vanilla. I can’t remember the last time I bought strawberry ice cream (though I buy strawberry sorbet rather often) and orange sherbet is so far off my list of viable flavors, I can’t even recall seeing it in stores.

Strawberry (pink) was bitter and only a vague floral hint of berry. Mostly bitter from the food coloring.

Cherry (same shade of pink) was bitter and sweet with only a faint cherry flavoring note. Not tartness, just sweet. I’m still not convinced that there was any difference, except strawberry seemed even more bitter.

I had to take a break at this point because of the bitterness. A bit of water. Some crackers. I don’t know why I started with pink.

Vanilla (white) was expected to be flavorless, but actually does have a pleasant vanilla note to it. It’s like a marshmallow flavor. Really the only one I picked through assortment to eat. But it was really that I was actively avoiding nearly every other piece.

Chocolate was just horrible. Worse than the pink candies, because it was so lacking in chocolate and ended up tasting like a musty basement. You can tell just by looking at it that it can’t taste like chocolate, it’s not brown.

Orange was mild and did remind me of orange sherbet, except for the fact that it was missing that juice tartness. So it was more like an orange chapstick.

Now that I’ve tried their take on the classic ice cream flavors, I have no interest in their take on something more complex like butter pecan or mint chocolate chip. It’s best they failed at the easy stuff so I don’t get my hopes up.

Taken as a non-toxic and cheap decoration, there’s little better than conversation hearts. I paid only $2.50 for a full pound. Even if no one eats them from this cute jar on my desk, it was an inexpensive way to look like I’m observing the holiday. If you’re not eating them, it doesn’t matter which version you pick up. Choose based on the color combos, the sayings on them, or where they’re made. (These are made in Argentina.) There’s little point in choosing based on flavor.

I hate conversation hearts because they are chalky and flavorless. I remembered that one year Branch’s did make a gum inspired by those hearts and it was the worst sugarfree gum I ever chewed in my mouth the flavor was weak dissolved fast, chalky, and did not make a bubble.

If you can find them (they’re really rare!) try the Necco dazzled tart sweethearts. They are millions of times better than the regular ones. I actually buy about 10 boxes every year, if I can find them. (The red hearts are gross, though.)

I recently tried the original Conversation Hearts and I found most of them quite unpleasant to eat. But they do look pretty and I agree with you that they make a decent enough decoration (although they are not cheap here in the UK!). I can imagine using them to decorate cupcakes, obviously with the intention of taking them off and not eating them!

Brachs makes the best hearts. They are chalky, sweet, some of them are pillowy soft, and they have zero flavor. The latter is the most important part. They are like butter mints, but with less give to them.

I love them.

I accept that this could be a disorder of taste or preference. Other symptoms include a fondness for candy corn, easter basket eggs, lik em aid and 80’s gothic rock.

I was disappointed to find that Brach’s convo hearts don’t taste the same. I’ve always liked the pink and white ones - they were spicy (like minty-spicy). Now they’re bland and flavorless. At least the green ones don’t taste like detergent smells, anymore.

Candyology 101 - Episode 35 - Whatchamacallit
In the latest Candyology 101 podcast, Maria and I tackled a little-celebrated candy bar, the Whatchamacallit. We’re also trying out a new format, which is a little shorter, like a handful of fun size candy bars! (more)

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All content (text and photos unless otherwise credited) is copyright 2005-2019 by Cybele May

Please do not use my photos without prior permission directly from me, they represent what I ate in preparation for these reviews and are not to be used for other purposes.